Two months old already!!

Wow, I just realized I haven't posted in almost 3 weeks...oops! Sorry 'bout that! I can hardly believe it - the girls are 2 months old already! It's a surreal feeling - at the same time, it feels both as though they just got here and as if they've been here forever! I can honestly say I have never been so exhausted in my life, nor have I ever felt so strong...it's amazing how you are given the grace and strength you need, when you need it. Before the girls were here, I couldn't imagine how I was going to handle a 2-yr old and twins; never imagined one of the twins would have special needs! I am definitely relying more on my faith than ever before in my life, and I often recite one of my favorite scriptures - "My grace is sufficient for you."

Makayla weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz last Friday 2/22 (was 5 lbs, 6 oz at birth). She is finally on the regular growth chart, though still only at the 5th %ile - but ON the chart, nonetheless!! She is so snuggly and sweet, though she is by far the needier of the two as far as needing to be held and comforted. She has really bad reflux, which so far is not really responding to the meds, so she cries a LOT. I feel so bad when I can't comfort her...it's very sad. She is BFing really well and loves to be worn in the sling. She's a funny combination of Darrell and me - her features are so me - looks exactly like I did as a baby; but her skin is so much darker than mine. She's just precious - and SO much hair - it just keeps getting thicker and curlier - so cute.

Mackenzie has had a really hard time with feeding and gaining weight. She was 4 lbs, 2 oz when she came home from the NICU on Jan 26; a month later, she's only 5 lbs, 2 oz (she was 2 lbs, 15 oz at birth). She actually went the entire week last week (Fri-Fri) without gaining even an ounce, so I was glad to see on Wednesday that she had gained a couple since Friday. She's still not even on the preemie growth chart, let alone the regular one! We're still not entirely sure why she hates eating so much, but her feedings are pretty traumatic for all involved - she just screams and flails and pushes the bottle away...etc etc. The doc put her on reflux medication in case that is the problem, and we met with an Occupational Therapist this yesterday. They gave us some calming techniques to try, and a new bottle to try. They would like to see her weekly for 6 months - but we have to wait for insurance approval. It truly breaks my heart b/c she cries b/c she's hungry, but then she cries when we give her the bottle...it's a catch 22. She is just as cute as can be, and amazingly strong...holds her head up so well, rolls over from her stomach to her back...it's so funny to watch her, just this teeny tiny thing with so much spunk!

Anthony is so in-love with his baby sisters. He calls them "mister 'Kayla" and "mister Kenzie." Mister is his way of combining "My" and "sister" - how cute is that?! I've tried, fruitlessly, to explain to him that mister means a boy, but he just shakes his head and laughs at me...LOL. He also keeps up a running commentary for me on what's happening with the girls - "Mama, Kenzie's crying." "Mama, Kayla's hungry AGAIN." "Mama, Kayla spit out her binky." "Mama, Kenzie spit up milk from her nose." (When she spits up, b/c of her palate, sometimes it comes out her nose - really gross!) And it's hysterical listening to him talk to them the same way I do - he's a little parrot. "What's the problem, mister Kenzie?" I always tell the girls, "I know, honey, I know..." when they're upset abut something. Now Anthony says it..."I know, baby girl, I know.

I had family here helping out until this past Saturday, when my mom left. Monday, Darrell went to work and it was my first day alone with all 3 kids. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but by the time he got home, I was definitely ready for a break. So I told him I needed a steaming hot bubble bath and a glass of wine. He said to go ahead. Of course, before the water was even finished running, Makayla was awake and hungry - so my steaming hot bubble bath with wine became a luke-warm bath with a nursing baby!! LOL - at least I got a bath! Darrell's been off the rest of this week - but come next week, he's back to work full time, and I'm on my own. I do have a friend lined up to come over on Tuesday for a few hours to help out.

On Wednesdays, I've been going to a breastfeeding group, which I really enjoy. But I've been just taking one baby pretty much, other than the time my sister went with and we took both of them. So when I told the other moms and the leader - a lactation consultant - that this week I would be on my own with all 3, so I didn't think I'd make it to group, they all insisted that I bring them all along. OMG - can you imagine what that would be like?? I am so scared to try it, but I guess I'm gonna have to figure it out sooner or later, so depending on how I feel that morning, and on how everyone's temperments are that morning, I may give it a try.

I have my tubal ligation scheduled for Friday, March 14th. This shop's closed!!! A good friend is flying in from San Francisco to help out with the kids and for a visit that weekend. Yay!

I don't know what we're doing for Anthony's 3rd birthday on the 17th. Since he's no longer in daycare, he doesn't have a bunch of friends to invite to a party. I have several friends with kids near his age, so maybe we'll all just have a picnic at the park or something like that.